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[MrHaugen]

I have observed a few features missing, and one possible error with the new DVD playback features.
The following are partially copied from another thread I posted in.

1. It is not possible to select VMR9 renderless exclusive playback. Me and alot of others preffer this mode.I'm highly dependent of this.

2. When I try to select FFDShow RAW video filter or any of the other FFDShow decoder options I get the following error:

An error occurred preparing to play dvd video
The video decoder '..................' could not be used for dvd playback
Please select a different dvd decoder in dvd options

I have tried ffdshow versions:
- ffdshow-20040801a_preview_SSE2.exe
- ffdshow-20050328.exe
- ffdshow-rev1316-20070623_xxl.exe

The first don't even show up under "Video decoder". The rest just gives the mentioned error message. This is even before I have configured anything in ffdshow it self, and it goes for all ot the ffdshow options under DVD configuration.
It seems to me that this have not been tested. I know that's probably not true, but unless I'm missing a major point here, there are still work to do.

In Zoom Player there are also the possibility to set the Output color space to YV12 (wich I need), YUY2 and two RGB16 and 32 I think. I belive that the ffdshow setting would crash if MC have another video output color space than defined in ffdshow. Not an expert in output color spaces, but I think so.

I really hope you could try to adress this problems. Would make my MC experience complete.

Little note on ZP and ffdshow usage:
I have been following Mastiffs HTPC guide for a long time and the post processing does wonders. Can't live without it, but I want to be able to us it with MC. If you want to see what ZP and ffdshow can do, try out the following components and follow Mastiffs guide: DScaler 5006, AC3 Filter 0.70b, FFDShow 20040801a_preview_SSE2 together with Zoom Player and experience the possibilities, and how it all can work. They're rather old component's but still works. At least with ZP.
Though the guide are written in Norwegian I think you can easily follow the step by step instructions just by looking at the pictures and read the English settings description in the text.
This page would be a good start: http://www.hardware.no/guider/multimedia/htpc_trinn_for_trinn_-_del_7/15836/6

At page 11 he's describing how to enable post processing on divx and the like. I think that this is also an absolute must. This is where the postprocessing are really needed.



- Carl

[MrHaugen]

*bump*

Have the video people taken they're summer holliday or what? 

[Matt]

1. It is not possible to select VMR9 renderless exclusive playback. Me and alot of others preffer this mode.I'm highly dependent of this.

Renderless just means that DirectShow renders to a program supplied buffer instead of to the screen. (Theater View does this for movies)  Why does this seem better?

2. When I try to select FFDShow RAW video filter or any of the other FFDShow decoder options I get the following error:

I don't think FFDShow works nicely as a DVD filter yet.  At least the copies I've installed say "[X] DVD Decoding (not working yet)".  nVidia, MPV, etc. may be better bets.

You can still post-process with FFDShow.

[MrHaugen]

Thanks for the answer.

Renderless just means that DirectShow renders to a program supplied buffer instead of to the screen. (Theater View does this for movies)  Why does this seem better?

I just got the impression it was better while using zoom player. But I might have exaggerated a bit, the difference might even just be in my head. Mostly afraid of not being able to set the same settings as I allways have maby. Who knows.

I don't think FFDShow works nicely as a DVD filter yet.  At least the copies I've installed say "[X] DVD Decoding (not working yet)".  nVidia, MPV, etc. may be better bets.

You can still post-process with FFDShow.

Ok. I made it work now. Just been using ffdshow as a filter and postprocessor. Not been used to seperate the two. Selecting another video decoder did the trick. The post processing  seems to work really well.


Looks like I can get ridd of Zoom Player after all. There are ONE more thing I find a bit strange though.
When I use ffdshow to resize up to, let's say 3000 x 3000, the pricture are a perfect square. Even though I have set the 'No aspect correction' in ffdshow. If i change the resizing to 2560 x 1440 the aspect ratio is closer to 16:9. I can set the aspect ratio to 16:9 but then I don't get the video all the way to the sides. No mather if I zoom in or not. It's as if the edges are cut off.
I don't like to set the aspect ratio manually either. That might look a bit strange on dvd's with different formats I think.

Anyone have advices as to getting no aspect ratio correction all the way to the sides, with resizing capabilities in ffdshow?

- Carl

[Matt]

Looks like I can get ridd of Zoom Player after all. There are ONE more thing I find a bit strange though.
When I use ffdshow to resize up to, let's say 3000 x 3000, the pricture are a perfect square. Even though I have set the 'No aspect correction' in ffdshow. If i change the resizing to 2560 x 1440 the aspect ratio is closer to 16:9. I can set the aspect ratio to 16:9 but then I don't get the video all the way to the sides. No mather if I zoom in or not. It's as if the edges are cut off.
I don't like to set the aspect ratio manually either. That might look a bit strange on dvd's with different formats I think.

This one may need to wait for Yaobing, our resident FFDShow expert.  He's on vacation, but will be back in a week.  Please bump this thread then if nobody else knows the answer.

Thanks.

[MrHaugen]

Ok. I will. Thanks for the help so far.

[mojave]

Renderless just means that DirectShow renders to a program supplied buffer instead of to the screen. (Theater View does this for movies)

Are you saying that when using Theater View and you select a movie to play, the movie is playing in VMR-9 Renderless mode?

Some of the Nvidia cards from a few years ago (6600GT) had tearing when using VMR-9. However, when using VMR-9 Renderless, the tearing disappeared. When using ffdshow for resize, both ATI and Nvidia cards had stutters that were solved by using VMR-9 Renderless. However, the more powerful computers and updated video drivers in the past year or so may have also helped fix the problem. I have always had a smoother picture for recorded HD TV programming when using renderless.

Because renderless uses a custom allocator-presenter supplied by the application it can render more advanced video effects. This is why most video intensive games run in VMR-9 Renderless mode.

[Matt]

Are you saying that when using Theater View and you select a movie to play, the movie is playing in VMR-9 Renderless mode?

Only movies played as part of the skin use renderless VMR.  Theater View skins can integrate movies into any textures used in the skin.  I'm not sure we've posted a sample skin here yet, but it's a cute trick.  Or as Jim would say, a sucky gimmick (tm).

Some of the Nvidia cards from a few years ago (6600GT) had tearing when using VMR-9. However, when using VMR-9 Renderless, the tearing disappeared. When using ffdshow for resize, both ATI and Nvidia cards had stutters that were solved by using VMR-9 Renderless. However, the more powerful computers and updated video drivers in the past year or so may have also helped fix the problem. I have always had a smoother picture for recorded HD TV programming when using renderless.

Excuse to buy an 8800GTX?

[mojave]

I'm not sure we've posted a sample skin here yet, but it's a cute trick.  Or as Jim would say, a sucky gimmick (tm).

Please post a sample skin. I like sucky gimmicks. 

Excuse to buy an 8800GTX?

I am still using an AGP motherboard. I had a 7800GS for a while and sold it to a friend a few months ago and put my 6600GT back in. I plan to purchase a Radeon 2600XT AGP card when they are released since they provide hardware decoding of H.264 and VC-1. On a recent test with a Sempron 2800+, there was less than 10% CPU use while playing back H.264 and VC-1 files.

[MrHaugen]

mojave: you tried MC with ffdshow and resizing? As I said it seems like the sides are cut of no mather what aspect ratio setting I use when resizing. Any suggestions would be nice. I don't like to use only 65 of my 88 inch projector screen.